Coronavirus Florida: 11 new deaths in PBC; South Florida considers some park openings

Jane Musgrave @pbpcourts

Friday

Apr 24, 2020 at 1:09 PM

Coronavirus Palm Beach County updates: Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade are in talks about reopening parks, golf courses and boat ramps, but local beaches likely will remain closed.

TO OUR READERS: This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Palm Beach Post. If you want breaking coronavirus news directly in your inbox, sign up for our Coronavirus Newsletter.

*

As business and government leaders ended a week of marathon meetings to figure out ways to jump-start Florida’s stalled economy, it appeared clear that life in Palm Beach County won’t recover from the deadly coronavirus as quickly as other parts of the state.

"Geography clearly matters," said incoming Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, a member of the governor’s Re-Open Florida Task Force. "We should allow geography to have a say in how we reopen and, not only in how we reopen, but some areas may be ahead of others."

Officials in rural counties, including nearby Okeechobee County and others that have been spared the brunt of COVID-19, insist there is no reason to keep their businesses closed. But Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties have been hard-hit by the highly contagious respiratory disease.

>>COVID-19 statistics made simple

Restrictions that are expected to be lifted to allow businesses to reopen gradually in other parts of the state may remain in place in South Florida, which is home to 18,117 of the state’s 30,533 COVID-19 cases and more than half of Florida’s 1,066 deaths.

But parts of life in Palm Beach County could return to normal soon.

Palm Beach Mayor Dave Kerner said he has been working with his counterparts in Broward and Miami-Dade counties to craft ways to reopen parks, golf courses, boat ramps and other outdoor recreational outlets. An announcement could be made as soon as Monday.

Beaches, he said, would remain closed. "I’m not in favor of opening beaches in round one," Kerner said. "I think there is a consensus on that point."

However, he said, a three-county approach is needed so people don’t jump from one county to another in search of ways to enjoy the outdoors.

>>PHOTOS: A CERTAIN DISTANCE: A nation changed by coronavirus

When recreational facilities are reopened, people will be required to follow strict social-distancing guidelines, he said. Large group gatherings will continue to be prohibited.

But Kerner, who is a member of the state task force, said there would be no three-county strategy released for businesses until Gov. Ron DeSantis announces what he plans to do statewide.

That is expected to come early next week after the governor’s staff reviews suggestions that were made during this week’s nearly nonstop conference calls between leaders around the state.

From there, DeSantis will craft an exit strategy from the restrictions that have thrown thousands out of work and devastated the state’s tourism, agricultural, entertainment and health-care industries.

Once DeSantis announces his decisions, Kerner said local officials will have a road map to use to devise the county’s hoped-for recovery.

>>Jupiter scientists think they’ve found effective vaccine option

"It is my belief that when it comes to reopening the economy, it is helpful to allow the state to provide a regulatory structure for the South Florida counties to work within, and then work from there," Kerner said. "This will allow specific counties to amend or adjust the regulatory structure to the needs of their specific communities."

During the meetings, it became clear that there are many details that need to be ironed out.

Even as DeSantis applauded the state’s response to the pandemic and said it was time to restart the economy, health officials warned that there could be a second wave of cases.

The pace of the spread of the disease has slowed in recent days. The 30,533 confirmed cases reported statewide on Friday represent a 3 percent increase since Thursday night, according to the Florida Department of Health.

>> PBC elections office posts vote by mail deadlines

The number of confirmed cases has grown 23 percent over seven days, the smallest increase since the pandemic began sweeping the state last month.

In Palm Beach County, 2,600 people are diagnosed with COVID-19, state health officials said. The 25 percent increase over seven days is also the smallest the county has logged since the state began tracking COVID-19 cases.

But deaths continue to mount. Eleven more people, ranging in age from 62 to 92, were reported dead of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the county’s death toll to 158. The additional 60 deaths reported statewide represented a 6 percent increase since Thursday night.

The country passed a grim milestone Friday when the number of COVID-19 deaths surpassed 50,000 with more than 890,000 people diagnosed with the disease.

During this week’s meetings, various businesses, including nursing homes, restaurants, hotels, dentist offices and even barber shops, said masks and other protective equipment were key to their ability to reopen safely.

But personal protective equipment, known as PPEs, is in short supply. Hospital stocks have run dangerously low, officials said.

Even long-term care facilities, which need masks to protect the state’s most vulnerable residents, have trouble gettting them, said Steve Bahmer, CEO of LeadingEdge Florida, which represents elder care facilities around the state.

>>Elder care industry expresses concerns over error-prone list

"The competition is fierce and global," Bahmer told members of a working group that is addressing the needs of the health-care industry. He appealed to the state to help nursing homes and other elder-care facilities get the supplies they need to keep residents and staff safe.

Most businesses also said they need rapid-testing so they can screen employees to make sure they can return to work. Those tests are also hard to get.

DeSantis this week announced that he was expecting a shipment of 100,000 testing kits and more had been ordered.

"We are desperately working to acquire as many rapid-tests as possible," Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nunez told members of the executive committee of the task force. "I don’t have exact numbers of what we’re looking to acquire."

But based on the comments during the meetings, millions will be needed.

Testing is critical if classes are to resume at the state’s universities in the fall, said Syd Kitson, chair of the state university system.

"Our student body consists of people from all over the country and throughout the world, so testing will be our first line of defense until an antiviral or prophylactic treatment is approved," he told the committee addressing the needs of education.

There are also questions about who will enforce whatever restrictions are imposed.

Amy Mercer, executive director of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, made it clear the job shouldn’t fall to law enforcement.

"The chiefs recommend against making law enforcement the distancing police," Mercer told one of the committees Friday. "Even if law enforcement agencies work to assist public health our main job is to deter and stop crime."

She urged the committee to push DeSantis to make sure any guidelines he imposes are detailed and easy to understand. "Otherwise it will lead to more calls to law enforcement," she said.

Like others who addressed the committee, she pushed for a phased approach to bringing the state back to life in case the disease explodes after restrictions have been eased.

"The state government should prepare for one or more waves of a virus recurrence and accompanying need to repeat strict social distancing," she said.

Most of those on the committees agreed that the economy should reopen gradually. Visitation at nursing homes, for instance, wouldn’t be resumed until the coronavirus threat has disappeared.

Bars, likewise, wouldn’t be allowed to reach full capacity until an all-clear has been issued. They are likely to remain closed until infection rates slow beyond current levels.

While hospitals asked that the prohibition on elective surgery be lifted May 9, they said restrictions on routine operations should continue. But, they said, the resumption of elective surgery is needed not just to bolster sagging hospital revenues but to help people in pain statewide.

Restaurants and hotels said they would need two to four weeks to get ready to reopen. It will take time to rehire staff and order supplies, restaurant owners said.

DeSantis has suggested that outdoor dining may resume first, followed by reservation-only indoor dining.

Simpson acknowledged that devising a way to re-open the various facets of the state’s economy will be difficult and tough choices will have to be made.

"We can do nothing more important now than trying to get our economy back up and running while we protect our most vulnerable," Simpson said.

Staff writers Chris Persaud and John Pacenti contributed to this story.

jmusgrave@pbpost.com

@pbpcourts

MOST RECENT STORIES FROM THE POST

>>Elder care industry expresses concerns over error-prone list

>>Governor says schools will not reopen in May, releases nursing home names

>>Column: Steelers fans take refuge (from virus) in plain sight

>>Coronavirus Florida: The role of respiratory therapists

>>Golfers driving charge to re-open fairways, beaches

>>As essential workers scramble for child care, this group steps up in unique way